BushwalkBushwalkJanine with her camera in action
Long Slow Walks
Text and photosJanine Reeves
For years I have been regularly chatting to my parents and filling them in on our weekend adventures, walking along the coast of Sydney with my husband Christopher. That often brought up stories from their lives about when they were last there and wishes that they could see it again, now that they are less mobile. During COVID, I had developed an interest in the Slow TV idea sometimes broadcast on SBS, where you could watch a 10-hour train journey minute by minute. For some of course, this would be like watching paint dry, but for myself I appreciated the calming meditative effect it brought, as well as the experience of being there.
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Cape Banks
I had also been hearing about 360° cameras for a while and noticed that not only had no one been filming entire walks, they haven’t been doing it with 360° cameras either … and so “Long Slow Walks” was born. My aim is to film entire walks. Yes, the whole thing, and then host them on our Youtube channel for anyone to view.
The processThe videos that these 360° cameras create are unusual, as you can rotate the published video and look at anything you want. So you might choose to just look in the direction I am walking, or you could also turn it around and watch a beautiful view pass by or a beautiful dog. No? So just me then? If you are viewing them on a mobile device, just moving the phone will change the view.
When watching these later I noticed that sometimes looking behind me is the best experience. Whenever I watch the Marley Beach to Jibbon Beach Walk in the Royal National Park to relax, I always point the
video to the back as I exit Marley Beach and head north. For me it’s a stunning view that slowly disappears into the distance. A number of the videos have been filmed during whale watching season, so pointing the camera at the ocean and looking for white jets of water, followed by the black bodies of whales surfacing, is the best direction. I was lucky enough to capture some whales at Cape Banks Edge on the Bumbora Point to Cape Banks Edge walk. The fish-eye lens makes the whales a little difficult to see, but there were a number of them travelling north for the winter that day.
Sometimes the response of the people I pass is humorous, with some relishing being in front of the camera and others looking at me like I am crazy, carrying a pole in the middle of nowhere. Sometimes you can almost hear my silent screams to my fellow walkers, casually standing too close to the edge of a cliff. I think its best that I don’t point out the times when some juveniles are behaving … well … juvenile.
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Cliffs above Little Marley Beach
The red line shows the walks I have done
For those less experienced with hiking, I think the videos give a really good feel for what the walk will be like. For example, those who need to travel with a walking stick or a pram will be able to determine if they will be able to complete it. Those who don’t like hills can look for where the video has been spliced when walking up a hill, to cover for me being out of breath. More experienced people can use the videos to plan the next outing, or decide which walks are worth the time. Oh, who am I kidding, they are all worth our time aren’t they?
The planMy plan is to firstly film the entire Sydney coast from Otford through to Palm Beach, from south to north. One video will end where the next begins, so you can watch the entire coast of Sydney, except for the bays and harbours in between of course. I am almost half-way through that now, after having completed Wattamolla Beach in the Royal National Park through to the South Head of Sydney Harbour.
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Greenhills Beach
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After the coastline is completed, I am planning to move onto Sydney Harbour starting from South Head to Parramatta ...
After the coast is completed, I plan to move onto Sydney Harbour starting from South Head to Parramatta and then back again to North Head, to complete the entire 315 kilometres Sydney Harbour and Coast Walk. After that, and after the blisters heal, I am open to suggestions.
I find narrated videos of nature not to my taste, so instead I attempt to capture the experience and nuances of the walk, with its bird song and sadly, the occasional jack hammer in Bondi - eek! Hopefully then, you
can imagine yourself there instead of me. I do mute distinct voices to give members of the public their privacy, but background noise is always welcome, particularly any waves lapping on the shore. I also go out of my way to try to hide my shadow to avoid breaches of the fourth wall, but of course if you look down you can say hi.
Due to the logistics of battery length, access issues and my lack of stamina, I often have to cover the walks multiple times to get the shots I need. I originally thought this would be the most boring part of this endeavour, but I am finding it quite the opposite. I see things on later visits that I missed the first time through, but also can relax more as I know where I am going and can just enjoy the view.
I had previously been to all the “good bits” of our coast many times, all the bits that everyone knows and loves (and sometimes loves a little too much). However, I was struck
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Wattamolla
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Gee was I wrong, they should be the destination, not the journey.
with the beauty of the parts I had never heard of before. The bits no one has ever spoken to me about going to, nor have I read anything about before. Perhaps this is just a product of where I live in Sydney, and an indication that I need to get out more.
When I was planning the walks, I just thought I had to pass through The Balconies or the cliffs above Little Marley Beach in the Royal National Park, just to reach my goal of filming the whole coast. Gee was I wrong, they should be the destination, not the journey. I have found the coast so far to be filled with hidden treasures that are perhaps well known to divers or four-wheel drivers, but sadly not
to me previously. It will come as no surprise to any of you, that it’s the bits that haven’t been built up that are the prettiest, not the bits with the highest real estate prices. I am happy to be proven wrong though, as I start my journey on the north side of the harbour to continue along the coast.
SolutionSo now my parents feel like they are travelling with me, reminiscing of when they were last there or spotting places that in their 80 years of living in Sydney, they also never knew existed. Aged care residents have watched the videos and other people have commented that they only watch them to relax. There is just something about a slow walk along a long and isolated beach that seems to do the trick like little else.
So if you see a crazy woman, walking with a pole above her head on your favourite tracks, feel free to smile and wave for the camera.
You can find us at LongSlowWalks.
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